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Application of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (扶正抑瘤方) from Chinese medicine

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Abstract

Objective

To investigate the feasibility of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Chinese medicine (CM) of Fuzheng Guben (扶正固本, supporting the healthy energy and strengthening the body’s resistance to pathogens), the effects of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (扶正抑瘤方, FYD), a typical prescription of Fuzheng Guben, on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatoma cells in vitro were observed by two methods with serum pharmacology and traditional pharmacology, respectively.

Methods

HepG2 cells were treated with FYD-containing serum or crude FYD extract in vitro. The proliferation rate was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate was performed by flow cytometry. And the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in FYD-containing serum were detected by radioimmunoassay.

Results FYD-containing serum remarkably inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of hepatoma cells at least by promoting the production of IL-2 and TNF-α in vivo. On the contrary, crude FYD extract promoted the proliferation and did not induce cell apoptosis

Conclusion

The results by serum pharmacology were accordant with those of our previous animal and clinical trials which indicates that serum pharmacology is a reasonable and feasible method for the evaluation of the antitumor effect of herbs of Fuzheng Guben.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academy of Integrative Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350108, China

    Xu-zheng Chen  (陈旭征), Zhi-yun Cao  (曹治云), Lian-ming Liao  (廖联明) & Zhi-zhen Liu  (刘志臻)

  2. The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350003, China

    Jian Du  (杜 建)

Authors
  1. Xu-zheng Chen  (陈旭征)
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  2. Zhi-yun Cao  (曹治云)
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  3. Lian-ming Liao  (廖联明)
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  4. Zhi-zhen Liu  (刘志臻)
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  5. Jian Du  (杜 建)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Du  (杜 建).

Additional information

Supported by International Science Joint Project, the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (No. 2008DFA32200), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81102582), Fujian Province Natural Science Foundation (No. 2010J01197) and CHEN Ke-ji Integrative Medicine Developmental Foundation (No. CKJ2009002)

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Chen, Xz., Cao, Zy., Liao, Lm. et al. Application of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (扶正抑瘤方) from Chinese medicine. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 20, 450–455 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1544-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-013-1544-1

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